Indian community awaits Clinton's visit

Somnath Chivukula

Nearly a month after the Silicon Valley fundraiser at which Bill Clinton showed his enthusiasm
and promised support for the earthquake-stricken areas of Gujarat, the
former President will be among a group of businesspeople and doctors who
will visit India next week to assess
the damage.

"This visit will launch the India Foundation," a spokesperson for the
American India Foundation said. Clinton will be in India from April 1 to
10.

At a New York fundraiser in late February, Clinton helped launch the
AIF, which has been raising money for the quake victims. He also serves
on its board.

The AIF has set a $ 100 million as its goal for relief to the Indian
state, where more than 30,000 people died and a million people have been
rendered homeless after the January 26 quake.

The India Foundation will be a spin-off of AIF, the spokesperson said.
It will primarily be used by other countries to assist Gujarat, he
added.

Clinton's 10-day trip will also allow NGOs such as Calcutta's
Missionaries of Charity to evaluate and see how the United Community
Appeal could work with it in rebuilding Gujarat.

This will be Clinton's first visit to India since his historic journey
last March. The UCA is the umbrella organization for almost 40 San
Francisco Bay Area organizations that assist the Gujarat earthquake
relief effort. Its goal is to raise $ 25 million for the quake victims.

Among the organizations who are part of UCA are The IndUS Entrepreneurs,
BAPS-Care International and Federation of Indian Associations.

Accompanying Clinton on the journey to India are numerous businesspeople
from the East and West coasts. Kailash Joshi, TiE president; Lata
Krishnan, who heads the UCA effort; angel investor Paul Gupta and TiE
administrator Raj Desai represent TiE. A team of 16 doctors from
Stanford University will be part of the 30-strong group.

"These doctors are mostly surgeons who will perform critical
operations," the AIF spokesperson said. "They will have $ 250,000 worth
of medical equipment to donate to the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad."

The significance of the visiting doctors cannot be underestimated, the
spokesperson said. Many of them will allow local doctors to observe and
assist during surgery.

The UCA has raised more than $ 15 million in medical equipment,
donations and pledges, according to Desai. Almost $ 2 million was raised
at the Silicon Valley event that featured rapper M C Hammer,
actress-activist Shabana Azmi and writer Dr Deepak Chopra.

With the buzz around the visit, BAPS-Care volunteer Harshad Shah
says he will take a wait-and-watch approach on the progress of Clinton's
efforts. "He has shown the willingness to help and that's good," Shah
said. "But I still want to see what he does and his plans. His
intentions are genuine since he promised Prime Minister Vajpayee that he would help."

BAPS-Care has adopted 10 villages in Gujarat where 2,000 homes will be
built. Six villages have already had their ground-breaking ceremonies,
Shah said. The organization will also help build a hospital with modern
facilities in Bhuj, the epicenter of the quake.